Photofluorographic apparatus



May 6, 1952 c. M. TUTTLE ETAL 2,595,430

PHoToFLUoRoGRAPHIc APPARATUS Filed April 8, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Tij. l.

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PHOTOF'LUOROGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed April 8, 1950 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 :y 433; @Uffa/v /14 7//7745 7a VM By ,@asfa H Ames/W Patented May 6, 1952 PHOTOFLUGRQGRAPHIC APPARATUS Clifton M. Tuttle, Halesite, N. Y., and Russell H. Morgan, Baltimore, Md.; said Tuttle assigner to Kenyon Instrument Company, inc., Huntington, N. Y.

Application April 8, 1950, Serial N o. 154,794

This invention relates to photoiluorography and more particularly to an improved apparatus for quickly and permanently recording a shadowgraph produced by Roentgen or X-rays.

Roentgen rays have the well-known ability to penetrate such bodies as metal castings, mechanical parts and anatomical structures. The amount of radiation transmitted by these structures is governed in part by their thickness, density and atomic composition. Consequently, when a Roentgen ray beam is transmitted by a body of varying thickness, density or atomic composition, it presents an image of the internal structure of the body. Since Roentgen rays are invisible, it is necessary to interpose in the transmitted beam some mechanism by Which the Roentgen-ray image is converted into a visible image, if the intelligence of the image is to be comprehended by an observer. This mechanism may be a photographic nlm or plate or a screen coated with a crystalline material which fluoresces under the influence of Roentgen rays.

The Roentgen-ray image of a structure undergoing examination is a shadowgraph of essentially the same projected area as the structure itself, since Roentgen rays can be refracted only with great diculty. Therefore, in the case of the photographic receptor, large nlm sizes are needed for the examination of large parts, whereby the procedure becomes prohibitively expensive in many instances. This difliculty may be overcome by utilizing the refractive properties of visible light in a receptor system employing a fluorescent screen on which the Roentgen-ray shadowgraph is produced, an optical system and a photographic film of reduced size. Althoughthis procedure is relatively inexpensive, the time lagl between the exposure of the photographic lm and the development and viewing of it by an observer is always inconvenient and frequently prohibitive when conventional photographic processing is employed. While procedures for rapid development of photographic nlm have been proposed and used to some extent heretofore, they have not found use in .X-ray photography due to the diliiculties in adapting them to the special requirements involved in X-ray techniques.

The problem of time lag is overcome when the observer Views the iiuorescent screen directly. However, the brightness of these images is for many specimens, particularly those of considerable thickness, below the level required for good visual acuity even for the darbadapted eye. The screen brightness level can be raised by 'increas- 9 Claims. (Cl. Z50-$5) ing the Roentgen-ray intensity, but this is gcnerally recognized as harmful to body tissue, a factor important to the examined subject in the case or" medical examination and, in any case, important to the human observer of the screen. Electronic devices have been proposed for brightening the fluorescent screen Without increasing the intensity of the Roentgen radiation. These devices may provide some improvement in the clarity with which the images are produced on fluorescent screens, but because of limitations-in the,

. number of Roentgen ray photons which may be used without harming the person being examined, the clarity will be poorer in more instances than that provided in photographic receptor systems (Limitations ci Screen Intensication Systems, Strum and Morgan, American Journal of Roentgenology and Radium Therapy, vol. 62, 1949).

Receptor systems utilizing fluorescent screens, With or without image brightening, are also decient for many purposes in that they do not yield a permanent record of the Roentgen examination. This is particularly disadvantageous in medical examinations where a comparison of the image patterns produced from time to time during an illness are highly desirable.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of an apparatus which overcomes these diiculties previously encountered in photoiluography.

The apparatus of the invention utilizes the actinic radiation oi" a Roentgen-ray excited screen, which may be of large size (for instance, 12" x 16) ,and the resulting shadowgraph on the screen is reduced in size by a high quality, high aperture reilective-refractive optical system rof the Kemer-Schmidt type and focused upon a section of a band of photosensitive film, such as a properly sensitized 7() mm. nlm. The latent image so formed is transferred immediately to a nlm processing head within the apparatus, where ,the image is developed and fixed and preferably washed and dried. This photographic processing of the exposed lm within the apparatus is effected rapidly and automatically by maintaining the chemical processing fluids at a high temperature which is closely controlled and also by imparting a high velocity to the processing fluids in contact with the emulsion surface of the film so as to insure that chemical by-products of the reaction are removed from the iilm. Apparatus for obtaining this temperature control and high velocity oi the 'processing fluids is disclosed in a -copending application of Clifton M Tuttle 'and Fordyce Brown, Serial No. 114,701, filed September 9, 1949. After completion of the film processing, the image is advanced to another position where it is either cut from the lm band and delivered to the operator or introduced into an optical projection system which produces an enlarged image upon a screen, where it is viewed by the observer.

In the preferred form of the apparatus, the brightness of the screen is monitored by a photoelectric device which controls the duration of the X-ray exposure in accordance with the effective X-ray density of the specimen and insures that the product of time and intensity of exposure is a constant value. The photoelectric device may be arranged to operate a relay so as to deenergize the X-ray tube and simultaneously operate a conveyor for moving the film from its exposure station to the processing head. If desired, the extent of the film processing to develop and x the image, etc., may be controlled photoelectrically as disclosed in a copending application Serial No. 35,493, filed June 26, 1948, to insure consistency of results. Such photoelectric control during development and fixation of the image insures uniform photographic images regardless of chemical concentration and other variable factors.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig, 1 is a schematic view, partly in section, of a preferred form of the new apparatus, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the processing head of Fig. 1, and showing schematically the optical system for projecting the image on a screen.

The apparatus as illustrated comprises an X-ray source or Roentgen tube III mounted above an opaque housing having a vertical section II and a horizontal section Ila, each section being of generally cylindrical form. At the upper end of the vertical housing section II is a lead grid I2 of conventional type which is interposed between the tube I9 and a cylindrically curved fiuorescent screen I3. A movable table T is provided for the person undergoing examination, and the part to be examined will rest on the table directly above the grid I2 and below the Roentgen tube so that a shadowgraph of the part will be produced on the fluorescent screen I3 by the action of the Roentgen rays. Within the veitical section II, near its junction with the horizontal section IIa, is a plane front-surfaced mirror I4 for reflecting the sh-adowgraph from the screen I3 along the horizontal section IIa. A concave reflector I5 is mounted in the outer end of the horizontal section Ila to receive the image reflected by the mirror Ill. Between the plane mirror I4 and the concave reflector I5 is an asperical lens I5 corresponding to a corrector lens of a Kemer-Schmidt optical system, of which the plane mirror I4 and concave reflector I5 are also parts.

A film supply retort I7 is mounted outside the opaque housing and is adapted to supply a band or strip of photographic film F to an exposure station I8 within the horizontal section I Ia. The exposure station I8 is located between the corrector lens I 6 and the concave reflector I5 and at the focal region of the latter. The unexposed film is drawn into the housing with its emulsion side facing the concave reflector I5, by means of a conveyor including a pull-down sprocket I9. The exposure station I8, which will be described in greater detail presently, is located on the axis of the reflector I5 and has a rcylindrical or curved section which, during the exposure, holds the emulsion side of the lrn in a convex form facing the concave reflector I5. From the exposure station I8, the film is fed by the conveyor to a processing head 29 disposed be ween the film path and the corrector lens I6. Since the nlm strip is turned back upon itself in passing around the pull-down sprocket I9, the latter serves to turn the emulsion side of the film toward the corrector lens I6 as the film passes from the focal region of the concave reflector I5 to the processing head 20. The head 2E! is supplied with processing fluids, such as developer, fixer and washing solution, in sequence, from a tank 2I through pipe lines 22 leading into the horizontal housing section IIa.

The duration of the X-ray exposure is con trolled by a photoelectric cell 24 positioned in the vertical housing section II where it is infiuenced by the intensity of the light from the iiuorescent screen I3. The cell 2d is in circuit with a current source 25 and a relay 25. When the light intensity of the screen I3 attains a predetermined Value, the cell 24 actuates the relay 25 so as to disengage the armature switch 25a from contact 25h. Thereupon, the Roentgen tube I0, which is energized from a current source Ia. is deenergized. The armature switch 29a then engages a contact 26C to start an electric timer 21 energized from a current source 28, whereupon an electric motor 29 is operated through the timer and drives the pull-down sprocket I9 through a belt or other connection Thereafter, the motor 2), under control of timer 21, stops the film feed when the latent image of the shadowgraph which previously appeared on the screen I3 reaches the processing head 20, and then resumes the film feed after the image has been processed, until the developed image reaches the next station. 'When another section of the film is to be exposed, the switch 26a. is returned manually into engagement with contact 2Gb.

The horizontal housing section IIa contains a narrow casing 3l for shielding the film F against light radiation, except at the exposure station IB where the casing has an aperture 35a (Fig. 2). The film is drawn by the sprocket I9 into aperture 3Ia where the emulsion side of the film faces the concave reflector I5 at the focal region of the latter. In other words, the reflector I5 images the fluorescent screen I3 upon the emulsion surface of the film at the exposure station I8. In order to counteract the optical effect of the cylindrical curvature of the screen I3, the exposure station I8 is formed by a member having a corresponding curvature of cylindrical section against which the rear or base surface of the film is held during the exposure. As shown in Fig. 2, the member I8 is curved so as to hold the film with its emulsion side in convex form and facing the reflector I5. The rear face of the film is held against the curved member I8 by suction applied through a vacuum line 32 to a recess I8@ in the face of the member I8. The suction line 32 may be provided with an automatically actuated valve (not shown) for releasing the suction each time the sprocket I9 is driven to advance the lm.

The processing head 29, as shown in Fig. 2, has a shallow recess 20a opposite a platen 29h, the film passing between the latter and the recess Y A passage 34 inthe head 29 connects the recess 29a along one edge with a bore 35 leadingr to a vacuum line 38. Along its opposite edge, the recess 26a is connected by a passage 3l to another bore 33 which communicates with the supply pipe 22 for one of the processing fluids. The flow of fluid through the supply passage 31 to the recess 2da and the adjacent exposed film is controlled by a valve 39 in the bore 33, and the fluid discharge from recess a is controlled by a valve 4%) in the bore 35. The valves are normally held closed 'by springs li and are adapted to be opened in any suitable manner, as by means of solenoids (not shown) connected to the valve"sterns 39a and 4ta, respectively, and operable under control of the timer 2l or under photoeiectric control as disclosed in a copending application Serial No. 35,493.

When the exposed film reaches the head 2t, the iilm movement is interrupted so that the latent image on the emulsion side of the film overlies the recess 20a. Then the valves 39 and g are opened so that the suction from the vacuum line 36 draws the film tightly against the edges of recess 2da and also draws the developer fluid from supply pipe 22 into the recess, where it flows quickly from the upper edge to the lower edge in a thin stream against the emulsion surface of the iilm, the fluid finally discharging to waste through the vacuum line 35. In this way, the chemical reaction products are continuously and quickly removed from the lm to expedite the processing. It will be understood that when the developing is completed the valve 39 is closed and a ixer solution is introduced to passage 3l from another of the supply pipes 22 through a valved bore similar to the bore 38. rThe washing fluids and, if desired, the drying iiuid are similarly introduced in sequence through additional bores leading to the recess 20a through passage 37. rIhe various iiuid supply valves are actuated in sequence, preferably through solenoids operated from the timer 2'! or controlled photoelectrically, as previously described.

The processing of the iilm in the head 20 is further expedited by electric heating elements 42 and 42a inserted in the head. These heating elements serve to maintain the head and therefore the processing fluids at an elevated temperature, and the temperature is closely controlled by a thermostat i3 inserted in the head and connected in circuit with the heating elements.

Upon completion of the nlm processing at the head 20, the film is drawn by another conveyor sprocket (not shown) to a drier 44 outside the housing Illa, if the drying has not been completed in the head 2Q. The part of the iilm bearing the processed image may then be removed from the iilm strip by a chopper 45 yand delivered to the operator. Alternatively, the film strip bearing the processed image is drawn to an aperture it forming a projection station where light from a lamp lil, after passing through a lens system 48, passes through the film so as to project an enlarged image of the shadowgraph on the screen 49.

We claim:

l. A photofluorographic X-ray apparatus comprising a Roentgen tube, a uorescent screen positioned to receive Roentgen rays from the tube to form a shadowgraph of an object in the path of said rays, a concave reflector having an optical axis, means for directing an image of the shadowgraph along said axis upon the concave reiiector, said means including an aspherical corrector lens between the screen and the reflector and through which the image isdirected from the screen, a iilm exposure station on said axisat the focal region of the concave reiiector, a conveyor for feeding a photoiiuorographic film to the exposure station to form a latent image of the shadowgraph on the iilm, the conveyor including a member engageable with the. film to pass the Afilm in a path around said member from the station to a position -on said axis located between the station and lens, a film processing head disposed at said position and having an open recess facing said path, said recess being positioned to be closed by a lilm moving along said path, and means for delivering a processing fluid to said head and recess for developing the image on the film.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising also a curved member adjacent the lm path at said exposure station and operable to hold the ilm with its emulsion side convex and facing the reflector, and means for creating a suction in said curved member to draw the film against the curved member.

3. Apparatus according to claim l, comprising also a heating element in the head for heating the lm.

4. Apparatus according to claim l, comprising also a device for deenergizing the Roentgen tube, and means under control of said device for operating the conveyor.

5. Apparatus according to claim l, comprising also a photoelectric device responsive to a predetermined intensity of light on the fluorescent screen for deenergizing said tube, and means under control of said device for operating the conveyor.

6. Apparatus according to claim l, in which the screen has a cylindrically curved face, and comprising also a member adjacent the iilm path at the exposure station and having a cylindrically curved face corresponding to the curvature of said first face and operable to hold the film with its emulsion side convex and facing the reiiector. l

7. Apparatus according to claim l, in which said conveyor is arranged to turn the emulsion side of the iilrn toward the lens and said recess as the film passes from said focal region to the processing head.

8. Apparatus according to claim l, comprising also a light source and a viewer screen between which the iilm is moved from the processing head by the conveyor.

9. A photofiuorographic X-ray apparatus comprising a Roentgen tube, afluorescent screen positioned to receive Roentgen rays from the tube to forni a shadowgraph of an object in the path of said rays, a conveyor for feeding a strip of lrn along a path in which the film is exposed to the shadowgraph on the screen to form a latent image of the shadowgraph on the film, a film processing head disposed adjacent said path but beyond the point at which the film is exposed to the screen, means for delivering a iiuid to said head for developing the image on the film, a device for deenergizing the Roentgen tube, and means under control of said device for operating the conveyor.

CLIFTON M. TUTTLE'. RUSSELL H. MORGAN.

(References en following page) 7 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,879,498 Richards et a1 Sept. 27, 1932 1,923,108 Mehl et a1 Aug. 22, 1933 2,344,043 .Kallmann et a1 Mar. 14, 1944 8 Number Name Date 2,371,843 Powers Mar. 20, 1945 2,419,478 Bouwers Apr. 22, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES The Automatic Control of Exposure in Photouorography by R. H. Morgan, Publio Health Reports, October 15, 1943, pgs. 1533-1541. 

